One Shot Collection
by normerofeels
Summary: This is a multitude of one shots that are requested to me. Enjoy! xx
1. Double Date

_Requested by Marianne on twitter. Hope you enjoy! xx_

It was almost eight in the morning when Alex finally left his motel, ready for work. He stopped by the motel office for his routinely morning coffee.

"Morning, Alex." Norma says with a soft smile. He nods in her direction but doesn't say anything.

"Sleep well?" she continues.

"Fine, thanks." he mumbles, still feeling sour about seeing what he saw late last night. He felt jealousy from the moment his eyes looked through his window at the man who was holding Norma outside of the motel office. Alex had seen the man before and recognized him as George Heldens, one of the richest men in White Pine Bay. Before Alex could mope any longer, the phone rang and Norma quickly answered it.

"Bates Motel, this is Norma." she answers professionally. He glances back to see her smile fade as she rests her forehead on her hand. She forces a smile and replies.

"Hello Christine." she says sweetly. She pauses for a good two minutes while Christine surely talks her ear off. Alex tried his best to stay away from that woman because of how much she liked to talk.

"Tell me you're free tonight. Because George called in a favor and got you a table at the Greene Tavern. It's probably the best restaurant in Oregon- Multiple courses, wine pairings, the whole thing." Christine says with excitement.

"Why didn't George call to ask himself?" Norma questions.

"He is in a meeting but wanted to give you as much time to get ready." Christine answers. Norma sighs and forces another smile.

"I'm sorry, Christine. I-I would love to but I can't today. I'm just not feeling well." Norma tells her.

"Another time, okay?" Norma asks.

"Okay." Christine says reluctantly.

"Okay, bye." Norma says, hanging up the phone and rubbing her forehead.

"You're not feeling well?" Alex asks, trying to hide his concern. Norma looks up and forces her third smile within the last ten minutes.

"You don't have to do that." Alex tells her.

"What?" she asks.

"Pretend to be fine. It's alright to not be okay." he tells her. She sighs with relief and relaxes her face back into grief.

"Just a lot going on lately." she tells him. He nods knowingly.

"I hope things get better." he says before walking out. She watches him leave, her mind wandering back to the prior day when she was cleaning his cut. He had given her a look that she had never seen before. It was fast, but she had seen his dark eyes. The look was enough to send her heart racing and set her body on fire.

The sound of a thump pulled Norma from her reverie.

She walked out from behind the desk and cautiously walked to the motel door that was open. She stopped when she saw Dylan passed out on the bed and Norman pulling his shoes off while Emma was filling a glass of water in the bathroom.

"What happened?" Norma asks, stepping into the room. The two teens look up, both looking guilty.

"Emma found him passed out in his truck. I guess he had been drinking." Norman tells her.

"A lot." Emma adds, walking to the bed. Norma slowly walks over and looks at her son who is pale and sweaty. She looks back at Norman, knowing why he had done this.

It always circled back to what Caleb had done to her.

"You guys go back out and watch the office please." Norma tells them. Emma walks over and hands Norma the water and towel before both kids walk out of the room and close the door behind them.

Norma slowly leans down toward her boy, placing the towel on his chest to cover the puke stuck to his shirt. She stares at him for a few moments, wondering why he had been punished for the wrong doings of her brother. Dylan was such a sweet boy and she only wanted good things for him, whether he knew that or not.

She grabbed the blanket under him and wrapped it as best she could around him. Her hand found its way to his scruffy face and she began stroking his cheek lovingly. She couldn't help but see the little boy he used to be, so dependent on her. And now he was this grown man, independent and strong. It made her sad to think that she had tried to hide from such a gentle boy.

When she walked out of the motel, she was lost in thought, staring absently at the road in front of her. She felt restless, her mind going too fast in too many different directions. She needed something to keep her busy.

The kitchen was her go to when it comes to cleaning- So many crumbs from previous dinners, so many dishes. It was one of her favorite pastimes, cleaning. She was in the middle of scrubbing the cabinets when there was a knock at the door. Norma looked up and sighed, not wanting any company at the moment.

But reluctantly, she removed her cleaning gloves and made her way to the door, opening it to reveal Christine Heldens. This woman just can't take a hint.

"I know you said you couldn't come earlier. But I know something about you, Norma Bates." Christine says. Norma's smile fades as she thinks of what dark secret this nosy woman could possibly know.

"I know you're afraid to put yourself out there." she finishes, filling Norma with relief.

"I am?" Norma asks.

"Yes. But I am not taking no for an answer. Come on, let's go look in your closet and find something amazing to wear." Christine says, grabbing Norma's hand and pulling her inside of her own house. Once they reach Norma's room, Christine begins ruffling through Norma's clothes while Norma slouches in her vanity chair, her elbows resting on her knees while she rests her chin in her hands.

Christine pulls out a few dresses before stopping and gasping as she pulls out a simple black cocktail dress.

"You will look stunning in this." she says, holding the dress up to herself.

"I mean, you're gorgeous anyways, and I think I have shoes that will look fantastic with it." she says, running back to her closet.

"Ooh, never mind, these are perfect. Perfect." she says with excitement, grabbing a pair of heels.

"Christine, I really don't feel well. I-I-"

"Norma Bates, stop resisting." she says, squatting in front of Norma and taking her hands.

"You are a beautiful, young woman, living alone with your teenage son. But he isn't going to be here forever, you know. People aren't meant to live alone. So you need to get back out there." Christine says, pulling Norma to the mirror and holding the black dress up to her body.

"I don't know how to. So many bad things have happened-"

"There's only one way- One step at a time. You know what? I'll go with you." Christine offers.

"What?" Norma asks.

"We can double." she says.

"Who will you be with? Didn't you just get out of your marriage?" Norma asks.

"You pick someone for me. Oh, it'll be fun, Norma. A blind date!" Christine says with excitement.

"O-Okay." Norma says, not wanting to put a damper on Christine's mood.

"Yay! Okay, George and I will be here at seven." Christine says, already walking out.

"Okay." Norma says, beginning to panic. Who was she supposed to ask to go out with them? She didn't know anyone in this town who didn't want to kill her or her sons.

Just as Norma watches Christine disappear from her motel lot, Alex's car pulls in as if answering Norma's prayers.

Norma runs out of the house and down the steps, catching Alex as he is walking into his room.

"Alex!" she shouts, running to him. He stops and looks at her with confusion, never having seen her full out run anywhere before.

"Alex, I need a really big favor." Norma says, breathing heavily.

"Uh, okay." Alex says, giving her his full attention.

"I...Well I need you to go on a double date with me and George tonight. Will you? Please?" she asks.

"I don't know, Norma-"

"I'll stop doing your laundry. And...and I'll give you full privacy. And...and I'll do whatever else you want." she offers, begging him.

"Okay." Alex says after a moment.

"Okay?" she asks with a smile.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I guess so." Alex says, not completely happy about any of this.

"Okay. Be ready by seven." she says before walking back up to the house to get ready. Alex walks inside and checks his watch, seeing that he has a little under an hour to shower and be ready.

That's when he realizes that he forgot to ask the most important question: Who was he going on a date with?

Seven rolled around earlier than either Norma or Alex would have liked. Norma was pacing the motel office when Alex walks in wearing a suit and tie. Norma stops and looks him up and down, never having seen him look so handsome before. Alex in a suit was a completely different look than Alex in a sheriff uniform. Though she didn't know which Alex attracted her more.

"It's seven." he says, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze.

"Right." she says, her eyes flicking back up to his face.

"You look...nice." he says, wanting to say more but not feeling it would be appropriate.

"Beautiful." he adds, not being able to help himself. She smiles and blushes.

"Thank you, Alex. You look very handsome yourself." she tells him.

The headlights of a car flash across the room, alerting the two inside of the motel that their dates have arrived.

"Right, Norma, I forgot to ask who I am going on a date with." Alex says, looking back to Norma.

"She is very sweet and funny and pretty." Norma begins, watching the pair walk up to the motel.

"No." Alex whispers, finally seeing his date.

"Christine." Norma says as they walk in, giving her a hug.

"Norma, handsome pick." Christine whispers loudly, eyeing Alex hungrily as she pulls away from Norma. Norma felt unsettled by the way she was looking at Alex. She knew that Alex was uncomfortable too.

"Wow. Hi. You look fantastic." George says, pulling her against his chest and kissing her head. She forces a smile and pulls away from George.

"Should we go?" Norma asks.

"Yes!" Christine says, grabbing Alex by his hand and pulling him out to the car. Norma and George sat in the front and Alex sat behind George.

"Uh, where are we going?" Alex asks, looking around as they drive out of town.

"Greene Tavern." George tells him. Alex shifts in his seat, knowing how expensive a place like that can be. Norma glances back and gives him a reassuring smile.

He smiles back until he feels Christine's hand on his leg. Norma's eyes flicked down to her hand and she quickly turns around to face the road again. Alex looks over to Christine who is staring out the window, as if her hand wasn't rubbing his leg. Alex tries to pull his leg away from her hand but her hand just followed him. He didn't want to ruin the night for Norma by pushing away Norma's friend so he sat completely still and completely uncomfortable. To make things worse, George and Norma were having their own conversation in the front in hushed tones, making it difficult for Alex to hear. Norma laughs and nods while George reaches over and grabs her hand, placing a kiss on the back.

They pull up to the front of the restaurant and get out while George gives the car keys to the valet.

"Table for four. Heldens." George says to the receptionist.

"Right this way, sir." the young woman says, grabbing their menus and leading them to their table.

"Thank you, dear." Norma says to the young woman as they sit down.

"We'll start with wine and the usual appetizers." George tells the waitress before turning back to the table.

Alex had a hard time keeping up with the conversation, partly because it was mostly gossip and partly because the most beautiful woman was sitting right beside him. And then there was Christine who sat on the other side of him who kept trying to touch him under the table.

"So she says, 'I absolutely did not buy a single thing.' Meanwhile the customs guy is staring at the tag hanging off the back of her jacket." George says, making Christine laugh. Alex glances at Norma who is forcing a smile but Alex could tell she was just as bored as he was.

"Speaking of shopping, I can't wait for that new costco to open." Christine says with excitement.

"George loves Costco. It appeals to his hunter/gathering instincts." Christine continues.

"They're putting in a Costco?" Norma asks.

"Yeah, out by the bypass road." George says eagerly, thinking Norma might be as excited as him.

"Well I wish that wasn't happening. It's gonna wreck my little business." Norma says sadly before taking a sip of wine.

"I'm sure tourists will want to come into town the old way." Alex says, trying to cheer her up. She sends him a grateful smile before George ruins it.

"Oh come on, now. Don't lie to her. You remember route 66, don't you?" he asks with a laugh.

"Hiding your head in the sand won't make the bypass go away." he continues.

"It's not like she doesn't know it's going to happen." Alex says defensively.

"Nothing wrong with having some fight left in you, is there?" Alex questions.

"As long as you don't let that fight keep you from seeing reality. The big box stores are coming." George says casually.

"Shut up, George. You're an idiot." Christine says, putting her hand on Alex's leg again.

"Nothing wrong with a man who likes buying in bulk." Norma says with an uncomfortable laugh.

"Exactly. I knew I liked you for some reason." George says, grabbing Norma's hand. She forces a smile and looks down at her plate.

"Would you excuse me for just a moment?" Norma says, standing up. Alex stands from his chair out of politeness as she leaves before sitting back down. He glances around the table, wanting to go check on Norma.

Finally, he can't resist the urge and he stands up from the table.

"Uh...excuse me." he says, not bothering to make up an excuse as to why he is leaving the table. He walks toward the back of the restaurant and hesitates outside of the women's restroom. He knew he wasn't allowed in but quite frankly, he didn't care.

When he walked in, he saw Norma wiping the tears away from under her eyes with a napkin while looking at her reflection in the mirror. She looked at him through the mirror and then turns to him with surprise.

"This is the women's room." she says, obviously thinking he came in by accident.

"I know. I just...are you okay?" Alex asks, trying not to sound concerned.

"Yes. Yeah, i'm fine. I should be used to it by now." she says with a soft laugh.

"He was being an ass. That's not something you should be used to." Alex tells her. She glances up at him with warm eyes.

"Listen, I know you weren't feeling well this morning. If you want, I could make up an excuse to shorten the date." Alex offers.

"You would?" Norma asks.

"Yeah. If that's what you want." he tells her.

"Thank you, Alex. I just...I just want to go home." she tells him, trying not to start crying again.

"Okay. I can do that. Just...go back out there and act normal." he tells her, leading her out of the restroom. She walks back to the table and Alex watches her go, deciding to stay back for a bit so they don't arrive back together.

"Everything alright?" Christine asks Norma once she sits back down.

"Yes. I just had to call and check on my son. He is new at managing the motel, so." Norma lies, relaxing back into her chair. Soon enough, Alex walks back to the table looking upset.

"I'm really sorry, guys. I just got called back to the station so...uh, I'll pay for the tab and maybe we can do this again?" Alex asks, placing a hand on Christine's shoulder.

"Oh, of course. Yes. Let's go." Christine says, standing up and basically melting into Alex's side.

"I've got the tab, don't worry about it." George says, placing a hundred dollar bill on the table. Normally, Alex would stubbornly fight back about the payments but he decided that George had been a dick tonight and he should have to pay for the meal that wouldn't be eaten. It's not like it would hurt his pockets anyway.

"Really sorry guys. Thank you for the wine though. It was delicious." Alex says as they all four step out of the car onto the gravel of Norma's motel.

"Of course." Christine says.

"Should I...wait for you in your motel?" Christine asks quietly. Alex winces at the thought but forces a smile.

"I'm afraid not tonight. I'm not sure how long this case will take. Rain check?" he asks, not meaning it.

"Of course." she says, getting back into the car.

"It was fun, Norma." George says, holding Norma's face.

"Uh huh." Norma says. George goes in for a kiss and Norma turns her face at the last minute, his lips catching her cheek.

"Goodnight then." she says, walking away.

"Gnight." George says, getting into his expensive car and driving away.

Norma turns to Alex who is already walking to his motel room. He opens the door and then glances back at her before smiling.

"Well are you coming in for a drink?" he asks. She smiles widely and walks into his room and sitting on his bed. He pours them both a glass of whiskey before sitting next to her.

"That was some date." Alex says with a smirk.

"In my defense, I didn't want to go in the first place." Norma says.

"Wasn't that the guy you were hugging last night?" Alex asks, trying to sound casually but failing.

"You saw that, huh?" Norma asks.

"Did it make you jealous?" she asks, looking over at him.

"No. No that's ridiculous." Alex says before downing the rest of his drink and pouring more.

"He's an ass." Alex says again, sitting on the other side of the bed facing the window, catty corner to Norma.

"Yeah you've said that." Norma says.

"And what's with Christine?" Alex asks.

"What? You didn't like all the touching?" Norma asks sarcastically.

"Did it make you jealous?" Alex asks, mimicking Norma.

"Yes." Norma says, surprising Alex.

"That was...top ten of worst dates i've been on." Alex tries to continue.

"Let me make it up to you." Norma says, crawling behind him and unbuttoning the top button on his shirt. He looks down at her hands as they continue to unbutton.

"A-Are you sure this is a good idea?" Alex asks, feeling nervous as he looks at her through the reflection of the window.

"Yes." she whispers, her hot breath hitting his neck. She finishes the last button and rubs her hands on his bare chest, making him physically shiver. She pulls his shirt off completely, her nails running along his arms in the process. He turns his head to his left, not expecting her to be so close to him already. Their noses brush against each other before Alex slowly leans in and kisses her.

His lips move slowly, wanting her to set the pace so that he knows he isn't taking advantage of her. Her fingers tangle into his hair and she pulls him back to lay down next to her, their lips never parting.

She crawls on top of him, straddling him, and pulls away from Alex only to pull her dress over her head.

"Wow." Alex whispers, taking a good look at her. The dark blue sating fabric of her bra and panties made her skin look like porcelain. He reached out and slowly traced the curve of her shoulder as if she might break beneath his touch.

He sits up and kisses her as his hands find their way to her bra clasp, easily unhooking it.

"That was a bit easier for you than I expected." Norma whispers jokingly.

"I've had practice." he whispers back.

"Surprising." Norma says with a smirk before kissing him again. He slides her bra down her arms and tosses it aside while she presses her bare chest against him.

"Are you sure you want this?" Alex asks, rolling them over so that he is holding himself above her. His thumb traces her bottom lip while he waits for her answer.

"Yes. Yes I want this. I want you, Alex." she whispers, looking right into his dark eyes with her electric ones. That was all the invitation he needed before removing what was left on her body and exploring her with everything he had. They had set each other on fire with every touch- Every kiss left them wanting more.

"Not such a bad date after all." Alex says as he traces shapes lazily on her sweaty back. She chuckles, her head on his chest.

"I would say, top ten." Norma says.

"Really? I'd say top two." Alex says, challenging her. Norma picks up her head and smiles.

"Top one." she says. He chuckles and nods.

"We should double date more often." he tells her.

"Sounds grand."


	2. Truth Or Dare

_This was requested by Marianne and Fancy_Farmiga on twitter with a twist requested by Arni and Lia. Hope you all enjoy! xoxo_

The motel business was slower than it had ever been, though Norma blamed that on the unusually cold weather. No one wanted to come to White Pine Bay when all of the lakes and oceans are frozen or too cold to take a boat out on. And with the new bypass being built, Norma just couldn't seem to catch a break.

"Evening, Norma." Alex says, walking into the motel with snow flakes on his jacket and in his hair.

"Evening, Alex. What can I do for you?" Norma asks.

"I just stopped by to tell you that, uh, Jimmy Brennan's death has been officially ruled an accident." he tells her. She smiles and sighs, visibly relaxing and leaning against the front desk.

"So that's it then?" she asks.

"Yeah. Yeah that's it. It ended up being pretty straightforward. I'm sorry Norman had to go through that." Alex apologizes. Norma smiles at his sincerity, not being used to it.

"Okay. Thank you." Norma says.

"No, thank you for...for being patient and uh...uh, i'll talk to you later." Alex says, heading for the door.

"Would you like to join me for dinner?" Norma asks, stopping him. He turns back to look at her.

"Norman is staying at a friend's for the night to work on a project so it's just me. I would love to cook for you." Norma offers.

Alex looks away from her, feeling unsure about being in the house alone with her. But, as usual, Norma was too stubborn to let him deny her request.

"Let's get up to the house. I think there's a big storm coming." she tells him, grabbing the keys and pushing Alex outside so she can lock up the office.

"It's freezing." Norma says, her hands fumbling with the key as she tries to lock up.

"Well maybe a dress and cardigan isn't the most appropriate thing to wear in January." Alex says, already removing his jacket. He places it over her shoulders, surprising her.

"Thank you." she says quietly as she finally gets the key in the door and locks it.

"Okay. Let's go." Norma says, gripping his jacket tighter around her small frame and jogging toward her house. By the time they get inside, both are shivering and covered in snow.

"I'll get a fire going." Alex offers while he helps Norma out of his jacket.

"I'll start dinner." she says, walking into the kitchen. Alex finds the logs in the basement and pauses to look at some of Norman's works. The dead animals sort of freaked him out, the way they were stuffed and posed to look like they're still alive. And with the bloody scalpels and rags laid out, the whole scene was unsettling.

"Alex? You alright down there?" Norma calls out, appearing at the top of the basement stairs.

"Yeah." Alex says, glancing one last time at the animals before walking up.

"How old is that furnace down there?" Alex asks as he places the wood into the fireplace.

"I'm not sure. Why?" Norma asks, stirring the pasta.

"Have you gotten it checked recently?" he asks, appearing in the kitchen.

"You're supposed to get those checked?" Norma asks sarcastically.

"Norma-"

"Yes. Yeah I got it checked when we moved in." Norma says, setting her spoon down and turning to look at him.

"Just make sure to get it checked regularly. Those things could be deadly." Alex tells her.

"You're so cynical. Always thinking the worst." Norma states.

"Better to be cynical than dead." he points out. She sighs and goes back to stirring the noodles.

"Do you...do you want to play a game?" Norma asks hesitantly.

"A game? Like hide and seek?" Alex asks.

"Well, no. Like truth or dare. We can play over dinner." Norma suggests.

"You think you can tell the truth for once?" Alex asks.

"Dangerous game to play with the sheriff, Norma." he adds.

"You afraid of opening up to me, Alex? Afraid i'll actually see you as a human being instead of just the sheriff?" Norma asks back, glancing over her shoulder at him. She finally turns off the stove and sets her spoon down to walk over to him.

"I'll tell the truth if you will." she says, sticking out her pinky. He smirks at the innocent action and loops his large pinky around her small one.

"Game on." he tells her.

"The cards are in the cupboard." she says, going back to the noodles.

"Cards?" Alex asks.

"Yeah. Dare cards. If you can't think of a good dare, you draw a card. Some of the dares Norman and I came up with." Norma says with a smile, surely thinking of the time she and Norman played the game.

"Alright. I'll grab the cards. Though some might say that playing with cards is cheating." Alex says as he walks out of the room.

"Those people are party poopers." she calls back.

"Or just creative enough to think for themselves." Alex says. She smirks and shakes her head as she puts a serving of pasta onto each plate.

"Wine preference?" Norma asks.

"Whatever you have." he tells her.

"That's helpful." she mumbles, looking at her cabinet full of different wine bottles. She settles on pinot noir, her favorite. She thinks about pouring it into glasses but decides to just bring the whole bottle- They'll need all the courage they can get for this game.

"Dinner is served." Norma says, carefully trying to walk while carrying both plates as well as the wine glasses and the bottle of wine stuffed under her arm.

"Shit." Norma says, dropping the wine glasses which shatter around her.

"Don't move." Alex says, taking the plates and wine from her and setting them on the coffee table. Norma, stubborn as she was, began cleaning her mess by picking up the shards of glass with her hands.

"I'm sorry." Norma apologizes.

"Nothing to be sorry for. Accidents happen." Alex tells her, grabbing a broom from the kitchen.

"Ow." Norma says. Alex walks back into the room to find Norma staring at the bloody glass shards in her bloody hand.

"What happened?" Alex asks, holding the trash can out for her to dump the glass into.

"Just...cut myself. It's just a scratch." she says.

"It's bleeding a lot for a scratch." he points out. He grabs her waist and picks her up almost too easily before setting her back down away from the glass shards.

"Go wash your cut while I clean this. I'll look at it when I'm done." Alex tells her. She finally listens to him and walks into the kitchen to run her rather large cut under some water. When Alex finally walks into the kitchen, her hand still hadn't stopped bleeding. Alex came up beside her and grabbed her hand, pulling it out from under the water to look at it.

"Just as I thought." he whispers sadly.

"What?" Norma asks with worry, looking up into his eyes.

"You're going to need surgery." he tells her seriously before cracking a smile.

"Stop." she laughs, nudging his chest with her shoulder.

"No I mean it. The whole nine yards. Stitches, anesthesia, all of it. Maybe even amputation." he says as she walks to sit at the table. He follows her with the first aid kit.

"One less hand to hit you with." Norma says jokingly as she playfully hits his shoulder with her good hand when he sits down.

"All good things." he mumbles as he opens the first aid kit. He grabs her hand and places it in front of him, focusing on cleaning her cut.

"This may sting." he tells her as he presses an alcohol soaked gauze pad on her cut. She hisses with pain and attempts to pull her hand away but his grip on her wrist tightens.

"Don't move." he whispers as he dabs at the cut for good measure.

"Sorry." she whispers, trying to focus on anything other than the pain. She decides on him...she would use him to distract herself. Looking at him up close, she could see just how long his dark lashes are and somehow, that made him look that much more soft. Not the stoic sheriff he was before, but now, the mysterious man with long, dark eyelashes. He glances up at her when he realizes she is staring. Her eyes stay on him bravely and became too much for him to bare so he had to look away. He finishes cleaning her injury by wrapping some gauze around her palm.

"That should do it." he says quietly as he stands up. She inspects his work, turning her hand over and flexing her fingers.

"Nice work, doc." she says, standing up and grabbing new wine glasses. She leads him into the dining room and sits on the couch.

"Uh...where are we eating?" he asks.

"Right here." Norma says.

"Is that surprising?" she asks.

"You just peg me as the sort of person who will only eat at a table." he says, sitting beside her.

"I'm full of surprises." she says, pouring them some wine.

"That's the truth." Alex mumbles.

Once they are finished with their meal Norma wasted no time before beginning the game.

"Ready?" Norma asks.

"As i'll ever be." Alex says, taking a sip of wine.

"We should establish rules. We are allowed to veto three questions-"

"One question." Alex counteracts.

"Two." she bargains.

"Fine."

"Okay, veto two questions. If you choose not to answer the truth, you must do a dare and vice versa. Sound good?" Norma asks. Alex nods in agreement.

"Okay, truth or dare?" Norma asks.

"Truth." Alex says confidently.

"Okay, we'll start off easy. What's your favorite color?" Norma asks.

"No, if we are playing this game, you better take advantage of it. Ask me what you really want to know." Alex tells her.

"Okay. What was your childhood like?" she asks. Alex smiles a pained smile and Norma immediately regretted asking.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Well I grew up here, around Keith and Bob and everyone else. And they were...well let's just say I was always the butt of the joke. They would taunt me and..." he trails off, getting lost in all of the ways the people of this town had hurt him.

"My mom was...she was sedated, for the most part. In and out of hospitals. And my dad...after my mom killed herself, my dad really didn't know what to do. With himself or with me. He was corrupt as they come, always doing things for the good of himself and only himself- Didn't care who he hurt in the process. Now he's in jail. I eventually joined the marines and then...well here I am." Alex tells her. Norma places a hand on his knee and he looks up into her sad eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Alex." she whispers before moving her hand back to her lap.

"Truth or dare?" he asks, wanting to move on.

"Truth." Norma says, feeling nervous.

"What's your biggest fear?" Alex asks.

"That's what you want to ask?" she asks.

"That's what I want to ask." he tells her.

"I...I don't want you to laugh at me." Norma says.

"I won't." he promises.

"My biggest fear...is love." she tells him.

"Not being in love but having love- Being loved. I learned from a book that most people fall out of love for the same reasons they fall in it. That their lover's once endearing stubbornness has now become...refusal to compromise and their one track mind is now immaturity and their bad habits are now money down the drain. Their spontaneity has become reckless and irresponsible and their feet on the dash are no longer sexy but just another distraction in your life." Norma says, visibly tensing up. Her fingers are wound tightly in her dress, her knuckles going white.

"Nothing saddens and scares me more than the thought that I might become ugly to the person who...who once thought all the stars were in my eyes." she finishes softly. She finally looks up to him, feeling as if she still needs to explain herself.

"It's happened to me before. My two previous marriages...and even times before that. I was once a woman to those men but eventually, I just became a body or a wife or a maid. A thing to use and then toss aside." she rambles on. With the way Alex was looking at her, she suddenly wishes she had answered something simple like spiders or heights.

"I...am deeply sorry you've...you've ever felt that way Norma. And I'm sorry that the men in your past have hurt you so badly that you fear being loved." Alex says softly. He yearns to reach out and hold her but decides against it, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. He knew she didn't need to be touched right now, she just needed someone to listen and understand and be there for her.

"Well...that's life." Norma says quietly before downing the rest of her wine and pouring another glass.

"Truth or dare." she says.

"Is it alright if I do dare?" Alex asks.

"It is truth or _dare_ so I think it might be okay. Let me just check the rule book." Norma says.

"Alright, smart ass. Just give me a dare." he says with a smirk.

"Okay, I dare you to...do a cart wheel." she says with a smile.

"A cart wheel?" he asks with surprise.

"What? You can't do one?" she asks tauntingly.

"I can. I just haven't in a long time." he says, standing up. He looks around for a place with enough room.

"In the hall." she says, standing up. They walk into the hall and Norma stands on the steps, watching Alex with a smile.

"Ready?" Alex asks.

"Are you?" she asks. He takes a breath and puts his hands in the air before doing a cart wheel.

"Impressive." Norma says, clapping for him.

"How did that make you feel? Masculine?" she asks.

"Very. Only real men can cart wheel. I bet that George Heldens guy can't cart wheel." Alex says as they walk back into the room. The moment the words spilled from his lips, he regretted them. This wine was taking away his filter and he hated it.

"So you saw that hug last night?" Norma asks, sitting back on the couch.

"Truth or dare?" Alex asks, wanting to move on.

"Dare I suppose." Norma says.

"Let's dig into these cards." Alex says, grabbing a card. As he read the card, his cheeks turned red and he was once again filled with regret.

"I'll just pick another-"

"That's against the rules!" Norma says, reaching across him to grab the card from his hand.

"Kiss the person to your right." Norma reads aloud.

"You play this with Norman?" Alex asks with surprise. Norma gives him a look.

"Obviously we wouldn't do these cards." Norma says.

"So...pick another." Norma says with a shrug, trying to act like she didn't want to do the dare.

Alex reads it and blushes even more.

"Come on, Norma." he says, his voice cracking with embarrassment.

"What does it say?" she asks.

"Remove your underwear without removing any articles of clothing." he reads, not daring to look at her.

"Well that's easy." she says. He makes the mistake of looking over at her right as she is pulling her black underwear over her knees and down her legs.

"Good thing I wore a dress." Norma laughs.

"Yeah good thing." Alex says, looking away again.

"Truth or Dare, sheriff." Norma says, setting her underwear on the floor beside her.

"Dare." Alex says.

"But I'm not taking off my underwear." he says quickly as Norma picks up the card.

"Give someone your phone...me, obviously, and let them send a text to anyone in your contacts." Norma says with a smile.

"Nothing embarrassing. I do have a reputation." Alex says, handing her his phone. She grabs it and slouches back against the couch, scrolling through his contacts. Alex leans back and looks over her shoulder at the names that pass by.

"Bob Paris, Deputy Lynn, ooh, Rebecca Hamilton." Norma says, clicking on the name.

"Uh, that might-"

"It's my choosing, Alex." Norma reminds him.

"Hmm...what should we say?" Norma asks.

"We will keep it simple." she says, typing out the words.

 _Wanna hang tonight?_

"You really think that's how I text?" Alex asks.

"Okay, fine." Norma says, deleting the text and starting over. "I'll try to be more off putting." she says with a smirk.

"Ha ha." he says dryly as she begins again.

 _Any plans tonight?_

Before Alex could object again, Norma hit send and Alex's heart raced as he thought of what Rebecca might say back.

"Until she answers, let's move on." Norma says, setting his phone on the table.

"Okay, truth or dare?" Alex asks.

"Dare. I'm feeling brave." she says.

"Okay, I dare you to-"

His phone buzzed on the table and before he could even reach for it, Norma had it in her hands. He reaches over to take it from her but she stands up and steps away from Alex.

"That was fast." Norma says, smirking back at Alex.

"Norma." Alex says, standing up to try to grab the phone again.

"Alex, it's been a while," Norma reads. "I'm free tonight."

"Norma please-" Alex says, grabbing her by her waist and trying to reach his phone.

"Do you want me to wear satin or lace?" Norma finishes. Her heart drops as she realizes what his relationship was with Rebecca. Norma didn't realize Alex was seeing somebody. Another text comes in, as if things weren't bad enough.

"You have condoms? Or should I supply?" Norma finishes quietly, no longer struggling to keep the phone from Alex, though Alex was no longer trying to reach for it. He just held her waist, her back against his chest while his other hand was holding Norma's wrist. It was as if both of them had given up on the fight but didn't want to move away from each other.

"Sorry." Norma whispers.

"It isn't like that. Rebecca is...she was something to me. But she isn't. Not now." Alex explains.

"Not now?" Norma asks, turning her head to look up at him.

"When did...things change?" Norma asks.

"About six months ago." he tells her.

"Six months...when I moved here?" Norma asks, daring to look into his dark eyes. The air around them seemed heavy, making it hard to breathe especially with Norma's scent filling Alex's nose.

"Yes." he breathes out shakily. His eyes glance down to her lips, so close to his own. One move and he would fulfill what he had been dreaming about since he had first seen her.

"Did you...stop because of...because of me?" she whispers.

"Yes." he breathes out again.

"Truth or dare?" she asks quietly. The question had confused Alex. Why was she trying to play again?

"Truth." Alex whispers.

"Do you want to kiss me?" she asks, turning to face him but not moving away from him so that Alex's arm is still around her waist.

"Truth?" Alex asks.

"Truth." she whispers, her hot breath hitting his cheek.

"Yes." he tells her. Her hands reach up to cup his cheeks, her thumbs rubbing his hot skin.

"Then do it." she whispers.

Without any more hesitation or uncertainty, Alex leaned forward, crashing his lips against Norma's in a passionate but gentle way, the way she deserves to be kissed.

Alex pulls away, his finger tips brushing Norma's cheek. He watches her, her eyes still closed, her lips slightly parted while her breathing is labored.

"I don't want you to be afraid, Norma." Alex whispers. Her eyes flutter open, looking wet with tears.

"Don't be afraid." he says again.

"Okay." she whispers, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm not afraid." she whispers, looking into his eyes.

"Kiss me again." she tells him.

He smiles widely, knowing he would do whatever she asked of him for as long as she let him.

But this kiss was different. The first kiss had been gentle and hesitant while this kiss was heated and wild. Norma had pulled Alex to the couch, pushing him to sit down before sitting on him and kissing him again.

"I don't usually put out on the first date." Norma whispers against his lips.

"Good thing this isn't a date." he whispers, his hands grabbing her hips. Her tongue runs along his bottom lip before catching it between her teeth, making him moan.

"I still don't have my underwear on." she whispers, reaching for his belt.

"Thank God." he whispers back, unzipping his pants and situating himself to align with her. He pauses, pulling away from her lips to look into her eyes.

"You sure?" he asks. Without answering, Norma dropped down onto him, making him gasp with surprise. Her hands grab at his hair, pulling on it while her lips travel to his neck.

"God, Norma." he whispers into her ear.

She gasps and stops when she hears the front door open. She sits up straight right, still sitting on Alex, right as Emma and Dylan walk inside, shaking the snow off of themselves.

Alex looks back at them, his cheeks burning at the fact that he is still inside of Norma.

"Oh. Hi." Emma says, looking at them. Dylan looks up as well, looking just as embarrassed as Norma and Alex.

"Hello." Norma says casually. Alex rests his left hand on her thigh, rubbing her skin.

"You're home early." Norma says.

"Yes. Sorry. We thought we would stop by for...dessert." Emma says, looking back at Dylan. Alex's hand travels further up Norma's thigh, daringly dipping under her dress.

"We were...playing truth or dare." Norma says.

"Fun." Dylan says, looking away from them.

Alex's thumb flicks along her sensitive spot, making her jump and gasp.

"I just forgot...I have to make dessert. For you guys." Norma says, casually jumping off of Alex, exposing him. Alex quickly covers himself with his hands, trying to stuff himself back into his pants before poor Emma caught a glimpse.

"Oh good. That's what we came for." Emma says.

"I think that's what Alex came for too." Dylan says, smirking at the chance to make Alex uncomfortable. Alex blushed and stands up, having finally zipped his pants.

"Oh..you...forgot something." Emma says slowly.

"Huh?" Norma asks, looking around. Alex reaches down and hands her the pair of underwear that was lying on the ground.

"Right." Norma says, grabbing the fabric and stuffing it into her pocket before smiling at everyone.

"Dessert?"

 _Okay so that was really long, but I hope you guys liked it. Let me know what you think! XOXO_


	3. Dancing Lessons

_This was requested by Zoe on twitter. Hope you enjoy! If you've requested something, I will get to it. I have them written in order and I will do them in order. All in good time, loves. xx_

The day seemed to drag along slowly, each second ticking away on the clock as if taunting Alex. All he really wanted to do was drive back to the motel and hide under the covers. It hadn't been a great day for Alex. When he woke up, his alarm didn't go off so he was already fifteen minutes behind schedule. The coffee pot in the office was empty and even though Norma offered to make some, he didn't have time to wait. And when he got to the station, one of his receptionists had just been dumped and he had to deal with her crying. He felt bad for the girl but he didn't know how to handle emotional people.

"Sheriff." Deputy Lin says, stepping into his office.

"Lin." Alex says, not bothering to look up from his papers.

"Deputy Smith just wanted me to remind you about the dance coming up. He wanted to know if you have decided on your plus one yet?" she asks. Alex sighs and rubs his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. Every year, the county police department had a dance for everyone to bring their family to. Usually, Alex found a way out of it but he had forgotten about it this year and it was too late to back out.

"Not yet, Lin. Tell him i'll get him the answer by tomorrow night." Alex says.

"But...tomorrow is the dance-" she says.

"Exactly." he tells her.

"I'll let him know by tomorrow night." Alex repeats.

"Yes sir." Lin says, walking out. Alex checks his watch and is filled with relief when he reads that his day of work has come to an end. Almost. He still needed to try to teach himself how to dance.

The moment he stepped into his motel, all he wanted to do was flop onto his bed. But he knew he had work to do. So he got out his laptop and youtube searched how to dance.

Norma had just closed the office for the night when she saw Alex's light still on. It was almost two in the morning and she knew Alex was not one to stay up this late.

She approached his door, becoming confused even further when she heard loud music coming from his room. Norma had never seen Alex listen to music before, wasn't even sure he liked it.

Her hand raised to knock on his door but she hesitated. What if he was in there with a woman? Norma couldn't interrupt something like that without a good excuse. So instead, she peaked through the window into his room, surprised to see him waltzing around his room by himself, his hands in the air as if he were dancing with a partner.

Norma had to bite her lip to stop from giggling at the pure sight. She watched him dance incorrectly, using the wrong steps and the wrong form. Norma felt the need to help him so that he didn't step on whoever's shoes belong to the person he thinks he is dancing with.

She opens his door without knocking and watches him with a smile, patiently waiting for him to notice her. He makes a turn and stops when he sees her.

"Hello." Norma says, still smiling widely. Alex quickly puts his hands down and reaches over to pause the music.

"I was just-"

"Dancing incorrectly." Norma finishes. He looks at her with confusion.

"I...no I wasn't." he tells her.

"You were. Your form is wrong and you were doing one too many steps. That's why it probably felt uncomfortable to you. Dancing should feel natural." Norma explains, closing his door behind her.

"That's not what the youtube lady said." Alex explains, glancing at the computer as if it had betrayed him.

"I can teach you." Norma offers.

"No that's alright. I can...I'll figure it out." Alex says, not feeling ready to be so close to her.

"Yeah that's really working out so far." Norma says with sarcasm. Alex rolls his eyes and sighs.

"Fine." he says, reaching over to play the music.

"No." Norma stops him.

"You can't start with music. That's like starting the date with sex. You have to learn first." she tells him. He shakes off the sex comment and straightens up, holding his hands out.

"Okay. Well first of all, your hand was too low on your imaginary girlfriend's back." Norma says, grabbing his hand and placing it in the middle of her back.

"You need to have control. You need to lead." she explains, placing her hand on his shoulder and her other hand in his large hand.

"Plus it's not proper to grab a girl's ass while you're dancing with her. Not in public anyways." Norma says with a wink.

"Okay so first, you step forward with your left foot. And I will step back." she explains. Alex looks down at their feet and she grabs his chin, pulling him to look back up at her.

"Eyes on mine. Don't look down." she tells him softly.

He steps forward and Norma steps backward, moving with him easily.

"And now, bring your right foot next to your left." she instructs. As he does this, Norma steps back with her right foot accordingly.

"And then step to the right." she explains, following him again.

"And then you do the whole thing again but stepping back. Does that make sense?" she asks.

"Yeah." he mumbles, looking down at his feet again. She grabs his chin and pulls it up again, smiling at him.

"Sorry." he whispers. He steps back and Norma follows until he steps forward again at the wrong time and steps on Norma's feet.

"Oh, Im sorry." Alex apologizes, letting go of her completely and stepping away.

"Alex, it's alright." she says, reaching out to him again.

"I just don't think I am meant to dance." he tells her, not taking her hands.

"Alex you're not going to be perfect at it right away. It takes time." Norma tells him, stepping to him to grab his hand and shoulder again.

"Let's go again, okay?" she asks.

"So, right forward." she says.

"And together. And to the right. Together." she says, smiling as the moves come to him easier.

"Back, together. Left." she says, becoming excited.

"See?" she asks, smiling up at him and squeezing his shoulder.

"Ready for more?" she asks, stepping away from him to play the music. The orchestra fills the air, casting a feeling of romance through it the room.

"Ask me to dance." Norma tells him.

"Norma-"

"Go on." she urges. He sighs and looks away before looking back at her.

"Would you like to dance?" he asks, holding his hand out. She smiles and takes his hand.

"I would love to." she says, allowing him to pull her close.

"Right foot, together-" Norma whispers.

"I got it." he tells her, smiling. They dance around the room effortlessly, surprising Norma at how fast he learned.

"You're very light on your feet, sheriff." Norma says with a pleased smile.

"I had an excellent teacher." he tells her. Norma smiles and dares to wrap her arm further around his neck, bring their bodies closer.

"Why are you trying to learn to dance?" Norma asks, looking into his dark eyes.

"I have this stupid dance tomorrow night. Usually I can get out of it but this year I forgot about it." Alex explains.

"So who is your dance partner?" Norma asks, trying to sound innocently curious.

"I...I don't know yet. To be honest, I haven't asked a girl out in years. I'm not even sure I would want any of the women in town to be up close and personal with me." he tells her.

Norma's heart breaks at his words, suddenly feeling like she doesn't belong in his arms. She goes to pull away but his grip tightens on her. She looks up to see him smiling down at her knowingly.

"You're not...technically... _in_ town." he tells her, shrugging. Norma smiles at his words, realizing that he meant she was the exception.

"Maybe...well maybe you would want to accompany me?" he asks.

"I mean I know it's a stupid dance and you probably have something better to do. It's just that... it would be nice to have someone so familiar there with me." he explains.

"I would love to go, Alex." Norma says with a smile.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"Yeah. It'll be fun. I haven't been out dancing in so long. I miss it." Norma tells him.

"Great. That's great." Alex says, feeling excited. The music begins to fade and change into a much slower song, and their dance turns into more of a sway.

Norma releases his hand to wrap both arms around his neck, resting her head on his chest. Alex rubs her back soothingly with one of his hands, his nose finding its way to her hair which smelled of vanilla and lavender.

"It's very late." Norma points out, seeing the red numbers on the clock.

"I don't want to keep you from your bed." Alex says softly, not quite wanting to let her go yet.

"You're not. I like being here." she tells him. Her fingers begin toying with the ends of his hair absently, sending chills through his body.

"What time do you need me tomorrow?" she asks.

"The dance is at seven. I could take you to dinner before, if you want." Alex offers, hoping he isn't crossing a line by asking.

"Alex, you're not supposed to eat before you dance." she tells him.

"Oh." he says, feeling bad.

"Maybe we can...catch a late lunch together. And get some dessert after." Norma suggests. Alex smiles against her head, elated at the thought of spending almost all of tomorrow with Norma.

"Uh, yeah. Okay." he says, trying to sound casual.

"I'll see you around one tomorrow then." Norma says, pulling away from him.

"Okay." Alex says, watching her leave. He remains staring at the door for a long time after Norma left, still not being able to believe the thought of going on a date tomorrow with Norma. He eventually laid down on his bed but didn't sleep a wink- He was too nervous.

By the time one o'clock rolled around, Alex found Norma in the motel office, wearing a beautiful yellow sundress with embroidered flowers. Alex had never seen the dress before but he already knew it was his favorite.

"Evening, sheriff." Emma says when Alex walks in.

Norma turns around from the desk to see Alex wearing a light blue button up and some tan pants. She had never seen him look so handsome.

"Alex." Norma breathes out with a smile as she takes in his look.

"Am I...dressed up? I can change-"

"It's perfect." Norma tells him, stepping toward him.

"You guys are like Ken and Barbie." Emma tells them with a smile. Norma looks back at Emma with a smile.

"Ready?" Alex asks.

"Yes. Yeah, I'll be out in a second." Norma says. Alex nods and steps outside, walking to his car.

"I'll be back around two probably. Will you still be here?" Norma asks Emma.

"Yeah i'm here till nine tonight." Emma tells her.

"Perfect. I'll need your help." Norma says, feeling nervous.

"With what?" Emma asks.

"I'm going to a dance with Alex. I'll need your help getting ready." Norma says quickly, grabbing her purse and jacket.

"Okay. Want me to go look for dresses while you're gone?" she asks.

"That would be great. Thank you Emma. Just have Norman watch the office today." Norma says, walking out of the motel. Alex was waiting for her by his car, ready to open the door for her.

"Where to?" he asks.

"You don't have it planned out already?" she asks with surprise.

"Alright. I'll pick then." he says with a soft smile, pulling out of the motel lot.

"Where are they off to?" Dylan asks, walking in with Norman behind him.

"Lunch." Emma says with a smirk.

"Together?" Norman asks, glancing back out the window at the car disappearing down the road.

"Yes. Norman, your mom wanted me to tell you that you're on motel duty today. She's given me a few errands to run for her." Emma informs him, walking out from behind the desk.

"What errands? I can run the errands." Norman says quickly.

"Its girl stuff. Probably best if I take care of it." Emma tells him.

"Girl stuff? Like what?" he continues, getting worked up.

"I am picking out a dress for her...to wear tonight." Emma says slowly, trying not to give too much away.

"Tonight? What's tonight?" Dylan asks, joining the interrogation.

"Uh...the...the dance. With Alex." Emma says, twisting her hands around the handle of her oxygen tank nervously.

"A dance?" Dylan asks.

"I'm calling her." Norman says, grabbing the office phone.

"I'm going to go up and look for a dress." Emma says, quickly walking out of the office and up to the house.

By the time Norma gets home, Emma has already picked out multiple dresses along with shoes to match each choice.

"Hello, Emma." Norma says, walking into her room where Emma is sitting on the floor in front of Norma's closet. Emma looks up and smiles.

"Hey. How was the date?" she asks.

"It wasn't a date. But it was nice." Norma says, looking over at the dresses.

"Wow, Em, thank you." Norma says, smiling at all of the dresses and realizing that some of the dresses don't belong to her.

"Where did these come from?" she asks.

"I went thrifting, in case you wanted to try something new. I think I like the dark blue one." Emma says, resting her chin on her knee caps and wrapping her arms around her legs.

"I'll try it on." Norma says, grabbing the zipper on the dress she is wearing now and pulling it down to slip her dress off. Emma watches innocently, waiting patiently for her to undress and pull the blue dress on.

"Wow." Emma says with a smile once Norma turns around. The long sleeved dress flared out slightly at the waist and ended just above her ankles.

"It'll be good for dancing." Norma says, looking at herself in the mirror.

"Did you have shoes picked out for this one?" Norma asks, turning back to Emma who is already holding a pair of white heels out to her.

"Thank you." Norma says, slipping them on and fastening the buckle.

"Now for your hair and makeup." Emma says with excitement.

Alex paces the front of the motel in his suit, the gravel swishing under his feet with every step. Norman and Dylan watch curiously from the concrete steps, both boys resting their elbows on their knees and their chin on their hands.

"How long do you think he will pace?" Norman asks.

"Don't know. Norma could be a while. Maybe even a few hours." Dylan says back.

"Maybe he will pace so long that the dirt and gravel will start to give in." Norman says.

"And he will pace his way deeper and deeper into the earth." Dylan continues dramatically.

"And by the time mother comes out, he will be so far in the ground that he won't be able to climb out." Norman says.

"And he'll rot and die of starvation." Dylan finishes.

"You know I can hear you guys." Alex says, looking up at them as he continues to pace.

"Then stop pacing." Norman tells him.

Alex didn't hear him though, because as soon as Norman started talking, the front door opened and Norma walked out.

Alex stopped pacing, frozen in shock of her beauty. Even from far away, Alex knew she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on. Norman and Dylan notice his staring and turn to look at Norma who is now walking towards them with a smile.

"Evening, Alex. Hope I didn't keep you waiting." Norma says, stopping in front of him.

"Uh...n-n-no. I was just, uh...I-I-" Alex stammers.

"Should we go?" she asks, grabbing his wrist and checking his watch.

"Yes." he says. Norma turns around to hug her boys goodbye and Alex takes the opportunity to wipe the sweat from his forehead. If he kept this up, then he can kiss dancing with Norma goodbye. There was no way she would dance with a sweaty man.

"Love you. Be safe, boys!" Norma calls out as she grabs Alex's arm. He leads her to his car and helps her in before getting in on the other side.

"You look beautiful." he finally tells her, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly to keep his hands from shaking.

"Oh, thank you, Alex. You look nice too. I like when you wear suits." she tells him. He glances at her and smiles, not quite knowing what to say. He was hardly ever given compliments but when he did get one, it made him feel weird.

"Uh, so when we get there, we can probably just say hi to a few people and slip out the back." he tells her. She looks away from the window at him with surprise.

"Slip out the back? No way! I did not spend two hours last night teaching you to dance so that we could slip out the back. We're dancing." she tells him.

"Norma-"

"Alex, you're gonna dance your ass off whether you like it or not." she tells him in a tone that she normally uses with Dylan and Norman. Alex sighs, slightly embarrassed that he is letting her boss him around.

"One dance." he tells her.

"Five." she says. He looks over at her with shock.

"Two." he replies.

"Seven." she says with a smirk.

"That's not how you compromise, Norma." he tells her.

"I'll just keep going up, Alex. Ten dances." she says, enjoying making Alex squirm.

"Fine, Norma. Five dances. No more." he tells her.

"Deal." she says, shaking his hand.

"I would've done it for two." she tells him.

"I would've done ten." he replies. They pull into the parking lot and Alex gets even more nervous.

"Don't get worked up." she tells him, sensing his unease. He looks over to see her smiling at him in an attempt to comfort him but it did quite the opposite. If anything, having her gaze at him made him more nervous.

"Ready?" she asks, grabbing her purse.

"Yeah." he says, slipping out of the car. He walks around to see her already climbing out before he can open her door for her. They walk into the building together and look around in awe. The room was dim but there were strands of lights strung across the ceiling in an elegant way. The music was soft enough for people to talk without shouting but loud enough to dance to.

"Romero." one of Alex's colleagues calls out. Alex looks over to see Deputy Mike Smith, one of the well known pigs of the department.

"Deputy Smith." Alex says with a nod.

"Who's your beautiful date?" Mike asks, looking Norma up and down, making her shift closer to Alex.

"Norma Bates." Norma says with a smile, sticking her hand out. He takes her hand but doesn't shake it, just holds it in both of his sweaty hands.

"Lovely to meet you. You're the beautiful woman who owns the motel. I've heard a lot about you." Mike says. Norma forces a laugh and pulls her hand from his grip, wiping his sweat off on her dress.

"Wow, they said you were pretty but...wow." Mike says, looking her up and down again.

"You want to dance, Norma?" Alex asks, already guiding her away from Mike.

"Thank you." she whispers gratefully. He takes her hand in his own, pulling her close much like he did last night. They begin by just swaying to the music, both looking away from the other.

"So, this is a nice place." Norma says, looking around.

"Yeah. Yeah it really is." Alex says, glancing down at her.

"I'm...i'm really glad you invited me tonight, Alex." she tells him, looking up at him. He smiles and nods, not knowing what to say.

"Well i'm really...im glad you came with me." he tells her, looking into her ice blue eyes.

"I...you know, I think I get extra points for having the prettiest date." he tells her, looking around.

"Do you now?" Norma asks with a laugh. He nods, enjoying the carefree feeling he is filled with now that she is in his arms.

"How many extra points do you get for being the best dancers?" Norma asks, winking at him.

"Ready to kick it up a notch?" he asks.

"Can you handle it?" she asks, feeling excited.

Alex begins guiding her through the dance expertly, twirling them around the dance floor. The guests who were already on the dance floor began to stop dancing and watch the beautiful pair flit across the floor. Soon enough, almost everyone stopped to watch the pair who were too consumed with each other to notice the audience.

As soon as the song ended, the applause began. Norma and Alex both look away from each other and finally notice the circle that had formed around them. Norma smiles up at Alex as the crowd disperses and people begin to dance to the next song. Norma and Alex begin swaying again, this time not bothering to try to keep their eyes off of each other.

"That was embarrassing." Alex mumbles with a smile.

"They loved us." Norma says with a smile.

"Well who wouldn't?" Alex says, his thumb rubbing the part of her back that is exposed.

"Alex, I...I've been thinking lately and...and dancing with you sort of brought everything into a new light and...and I just-" Norma says, her eyes glancing back and forth between his eyes and his lips.

"Sheriff Romero, mind if I cut in, sir?" Deputy Lin asks with a smile.

"Yeah, I do mind." Alex says, wanting to hear what Norma has to say.

"Oh, no. Alex don't be rude. Go right ahead." Norma says, stepping away from Alex to let the young girl in. Norma walks off the dance floor, grateful to have this time away from Alex to collect her thoughts.

She glances back at him to see him staring at her, completely ignoring the girl who is dancing with him. She smiles at him and he smiles back softly.

"You look nice, sir." Deputy Lynn says.

"No talking, Lin." Alex says to her, willing the song to be over. As soon as the last note floats into the air, Alex releases the girl and walks off to find Norma.

He searched everywhere for her but couldn't seem to find her in the sea of people. He began to feel claustrophobic in the crowd of people and decided to step outside for some fresh air.

"Norma?" Alex asks, seeing the slim figure leaning against the wall outside. She turns around and sees him walking toward her.

"Hey. Sorry. I just needed some...air." she tells him.

"Space to breathe." he continues with a nod.

"Right." she says with a smile.

"Well do you mind if I...if I stand here?" Alex asks lamely.

"Oh, no! Not at all." she tells him, leaning against the wall again. They stare at the night sky in silence, the cool air calming both of them.

"What were you going to say in there?" Alex asks, glancing down at her.

"Oh, I just...I don't remember." Norma says, pursing her lips. Alex feels let down, wishing Lin hadn't stepped in when she did.

"I...I was thinking too." Alex begins, deciding to take initiative.

"Yeah?" Norma asks, looking up at him.

"I really like...having you so close to me." he tells her. Norma smiles and deliberately steps closer to him, even going as far as resting her head against his shoulder.

"Norma, I don't-I don't know how you feel...about me. But I enjoy being around you. And maybe, if-if you want to we can be around each other more and-"

"Alex." Norma says, lifting her head from his shoulder and turning to him. His heart stops in fear of being rejected. But instead, she put her hands on either side of his face and the space around them seemed to fall away.

And then her lips were pressed against his. He had never gotten so lost in a kiss before. His heart kept missing beats and his hands fought to bring her even closer to him. He turns them and presses her against the wall.

Alex had loved before, but it didn't feel like this. He had kissed before but it had never burned him alive the way that he was burning now. Maybe it lasts a minute, maybe it lasts an hour. All he could think of was this kiss, and how soft her skin was brushing against his own, and that even if he did not know it, this was the moment Alex had been waiting for his entire life.

 _Oh wow! Soooo long! But I hope you like it. Zoe, I know you requested dancing lessons and this is a bit more than you asked for. Hope you're not upset! xoxo_


	4. Body Swap

_This was requested anonymously but I hope whoever requested it enjoys it! I also did a twitter poll to see who should swap bodies. My twitter handle is normerofeels. Enjoy! xoxo_

It had been a long day for both Norma and Alex who felt as though they were stretched far too thin. Alex finally made it back to the motel, physically relaxing when he sees his motel room. Right as his hand touches the handle of his door, Norma stops him.

"Alex!" she shouts, quickly walking toward him. He sighs heavily, debating whether or not to ignore her and rush into his room and lock her out.

"Norma." he mumbles, deciding instead to turn around and face her.

"I have your laundry up at the house. I can bring it by in the morning or you can come and get-"

"You did my laundry again?" he asks, trying to keep himself calm.

"Well, it was laying on the floor. What was I supposed to do?" she asks, losing her patience with him.

"Leave it! Like i've told you to do!" he says back loudly. She glares at him, feeling tired of the constant bickering between them.

"Can't you just be grateful? Maybe thank me?" she asks.

"Thank you? Norma, all i've asked for in this motel is privacy and you can't even give me that." he tells her.

"Do you know what it's like to work all day? When I get home, I just want some peace and quiet." he continues.

"You don't think I know what it's like to work hard? I work just as hard as you. The difference is, my work doesn't stop when I get home-"

"No, because your work _is_ your home. You work five feet from your house."

The look on her face stopped him from saying more. He felt sorry for saying the things he did in the heat of the moment.

"Norma, I didn't mean to snap-"

"You wouldn't last a day in my shoes, Alex." she hisses at him. Before he could apologize any more, Norma turned and left just as quickly as she had appeared.

"Mother? What's wrong?" Norman asks as his mother slams the front door behind her.

"That man." she seethes, ascending the steps with haste.

"Who? Sheriff Romero?" Dylan asks, appearing at the top of the steps.

"Ungrateful and mean and...and..."

"Mother, don't worry about him. He will be gone soon enough once his house is finished." Norman says.

His statement caused a pain in her chest, surprising her. She was sad to think of Alex leaving the motel, even though he had made her angry just moments ago.

"I just need to sleep." Norma sighs, walking into her bedroom.

"Good idea." Norman says, crawling under the covers of Norma's bed. Norma smiles and crawls in next to him, wrapping her arms around his body.

"Goodnight, honey." she says, turning out the light.

"Goodnight mother." he replies.

The next morning, Alex woke up feeling more relaxed than ever. His body felt new and free of any aches or soreness. His eyes open to see the bright light streaming in from Norma's window.

How many times had he told her to change those damn curtains?

His eyes drift shut again, ready to go back to sleep. Realization hits him like a truck and his eyes snap open once again and he quickly sits up.

"Mother?" Norman asks, sitting up next to him.

"Agh!" Alex says, quickly jumping out of bed and away from Norman.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Norman asks, slipping out of bed and staring at him with worry.

"I...I..." Alex stammers, looking around the room. He takes a double look when his eyes scan across his reflection in the mirror. He quickly walks toward the mirror, his breathing picking up as he sees Norma staring back at him.

"It's not real." he whispers, his voice coming out in Norma's tone. He looks down at his hands which are small and slender compared to his large ones.

"What's wrong, mother? What's happened?" Norman asks, grabbing his arm. Alex quickly pulls his arm out of the boy's grasp and stares at him with shock.

"Go down and...and make breakfast." Alex says, trying to sound like Norma.

"Make breakfast? You usually do that." Norman says with confusion.

"Right. I do." he says, glancing back at his reflection.

"I can make my own breakfast today, mother. You're obviously not feeling well." Norman tells him.

"Right. Yeah that's a great idea...uh, honey." Alex says, feeling weird about the entire situation.

"I have tech today at the theater. I can skip-"

"No!" Alex says too quickly.

"You...you have an obligation." Alex tells him.

"Okay." Norman says, smiling softly.

"I'll be in the kitchen then. Want anything?" the boy asks.

"No." Alex says, staring at the mirror once again. Norman disappears out of the room and Alex continues to stare at Norma's body.

"This is a dream." he says with realization.

"It's a dream." he says with a laugh as he fingers the dress hanging from her body.

There is a loud knock on the door downstairs and Alex rushes to the window to see if he knew who it was. The only car in the lot was his own and Norma's.

"Mother! The sheriff is here." Norman calls from downstairs.

The sheriff? Himself?

"Just a minute." Alex calls back.

"...dear." Alex adds, rushing out of the room. He looks down at his body, the entire experience shaking him to the core. He stares at his own frightened face and quickly walks down the stairs.

"Can we talk?" his body asks. Alex nods, pulling himself into the living room.

"Alex, why are you in my body?" Norma whispers. Alex's eyes widen as he realizes that Norma is in his body.

"I...this is a dream." Alex says, shaking his head. Norma reaches out and pinches him, making him wince.

"Ow!" he hisses, rubbing his small arm.

"Mother." Norman says, walking into the living room.

"Yes?" Norma answers from Alex's body. Norman looks at her with confusion.

"Oh. You meant your mother." she says, trying to cover up her mistake.

"Yes...hon?" Alex answers, trying to sound motherly.

"I've made you some toast. I'll be back later tonight." Norman tells Alex.

"Where are you going?" Norma asks, earning another confused look from Norman.

"To the theater." Norman answers slowly, stepping closer to his mother's body.

"Right. Well be safe." Norma continues, stepping in for a hug. Alex quickly steps in front of her, hugging Norman.

"Bye mother." Norman says, kissing Alex's cheek. Alex quickly pulls away, glancing at Norma. Once Norman leaves, Alex turns to Norma, glaring at her.

"You've got to be more careful. You want him suspicious of what's going on here?" Alex asks.

"What're we going to do, Alex? Don't you work today? I can't go into work for you!" Norma says, beginning to panic.

"I'll take you to work and make sure you get to my office without any complications. If you keep the door shut, no one should bother you unless it's urgent. You'll do fine." Alex says, grabbing his uniform from the pile of his folded clothes.

"While you're in my office, do some research about what's happened to us. Maybe try to find a way to fix it." Alex continues.

"Alex, I really don't want to." she says with fear.

"I can't call in sick. You have to do this for me. Okay? Please?" he asks, using her own charm against her.

"Fine." Norma says, pulling her shirt over her head.

"Woah what're you doing?" Alex asks, looking away.

"Alex, it's your body." she tells him, removing the pants.

"Right." Alex says, glancing back at her.

"This is so weird." he mumbles, watching her undress his body.

"You're telling me." Norma mumbles, pulling his uniform on.

"You have to pick up Norman from the theater later. And at noon, the plants outside need to be watered. If the tomatoes are ripe, then pick them and make the spinach and tomato pasta for Norman and Dylan and maybe Emma." Norma says as she buttons his uniform.

"What're you doing?" he asks. She looks up at him, her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Telling you what you have to do today. Do you need me to write it down?" she asks, finishing the buttons.

"Yeah." he says.

"Oh!" she says, walking over to grab a pad and pen to write down his chores.

"And tonight, you have a date. With George. I can't reschedule. I've already rescheduled twice before." she explains as she writes everything down.

"What? Norma I'm not going on a date with this guy. No way!" Alex tells her. Norma grabs his hand and pulls him up the stairs into her bedroom.

"Norma I can't do this. Hugging Norman was one thing but going on a date with a man...that's where I draw the line!" Alex tells her angrily while she searches through her closet. She pulls out a simple long sleeved blue dress with gold buttons down the back.

"You'll wear this." she tells him.

"I'm not going." he tells her.

"Then i'm not going to work." she tells him, crossing her arms.

"Norma-"

"That's the deal." she tells him. He sighs, rubbing his eyes and stopping when he feels something on his fingers. He looks down to see black along his fingers.

"Look what you've done." Norma says, pulling him into the bathroom.

"You've got to be more careful. You have makeup on." Norma tells him, wiping away the mascara under his eye.

"It's strange being able to look into my own eyes." Norma says, staring at her blue eyes. The eye contact made Alex uncomfortable and he steps away.

"Let's go. You can't be late." Alex tells her, pulling her back down the stairs and out of the house.

Once they step onto the gravel of the motel, Emma steps out of the office. Alex guides Norma to his car by placing his hand on her lower back like he usually does, trying to get past Emma without having to stop.

"Norma!" Emma shouts.

"Yes?" Norma and Alex say in unison, turning around. Alex gives Norma a look before turning back to Emma.

"I'll be in the car." Norma says, walking to Alex's car and getting in.

"Is everything alright? Sheriff Romero has been acting strange all morning." Emma whispers, glancing at Alex's body.

"Everything's fine. I'll be back." Alex tells her.

"Where are you going?" Emma asks.

"To the station with Nor...Alex." Alex tells her.

"Is everything alright?" Emma asks again.

"Emma I just told you, everything is fine." Alex tells her, making her give him another confused look. Alex sighs, remembering he has to be more patient than he normally is.

"I'm sorry, Em. Everything is fine. I've got to go." he says, walking back to the car.

When they get to the station, Alex leads her inside with his hand on her back.

"You can't do that." Norma whispers, pushing his hand away.

"Right." he says, remembering how it would look to others.

"Tell Regina good morning." Alex whispers as they walk inside.

"Good morning, Regina." Norma says to the young girl at the front desk.

"Morning, sheriff." the girl says, buzzing the pair in.

"Oh, I love your dress. Where did you get it?" Norma asks, stopping at the front desk. Regina looks down at her dress and then up at Alex, not knowing what to say.

"He's joking." Alex says with a laugh, grabbing Norma's arm and pulling her down the hallway and into his office.

"Norma, seriously?" he asks.

"I'm sorry, I forgot." she says, sitting in his chair.

"But...when you go back out, will you find out where she got it?" Norma asks. He gives her a look before opening the door to leave.

"Do your research. I'll see you tonight." Alex tells her.

"Don't forget the date!" Norma says as he closes the door.

As soon as Alex arrives back at Norma's house, he is bombarded by Dylan and Emma both.

"Norma." Dylan calls out, walking toward him with Emma trailing behind him.

"Yeah." Alex replies, glancing up at the house, wanting to run up the steps and lock himself inside.

"I was just talking to Emma. She said that something seemed off this morning." Dylan begins. Alex glances at Emma with cold eyes before remembering that he has to act like Norma.

"Off?" he asks, forcing a smile.

"Are you still upset about last night?" Dylan asks.

"Last night?" Alex asks, trying to remember if Norma seemed upset when he talked to her. He couldn't seem to remember anything other than being angry with her for doing his laundry.

"Yeah. You were talking about Romero." Dylan tells him. Alex looks up with surprise at hearing his own name.

"What did I say?" he asks, hoping to hear good things. He was elated that Norma talked about him to her sons.

"That he was mean and ungrateful." Dylan reminds him, giving him a confused look before glancing back at Emma.

"I...I did say that." Alex says softly, realizing how much of an ass he was to Norma last night.

"Have I...I mean do I usually talk about Alex?" Alex asks, trying to cure his ever growing curiosity.

"Not very much." Dylan says.

"Sometimes you do. To me." Emma says. Alex nods, trying to figure out a way to ask about it without being out of character.

"I do? I don't remember." Alex says.

"It's usually small stuff. Sometimes you say that you wish he would smile more. Just stuff like that." Emma says.

"Right. Right." Alex says, glancing back up at the house.

"I've better...i've got some things to do." Alex says, walking away from them. His mind races over the things he just learned. Norma did talk about him but only about things she wishes he would do differently.

It was then that Alex decided to change for her. He would smile more and try not to be so hard on her. He really did underestimate how hard she works. Being a mother is a job all in itself and he was amazed at how easy Norma made it all seem. In actuality, Alex had never been so worn out at the end of the day.

His back ached from being hunched over the garden, his hands hurt from all the chores he had to do around the house, and he barely had time to rest before he had to pick up Norman. As soon as he arrived back home, he had to get ready for Norma's date. Undressing himself without looking at Norma's body was the most difficult task he had ever done. Especially because of the way Norma unknowingly teased him by wearing skimpy lingerie underneath her modest clothing. Who knew?

Alex glances at his reflection, trying not to stare at Norma's half naked body but failing miserably. He twisted and turned, looking at every part of her body that wasn't covered by the undergarments. It was like someone had handed him forbidden fruit after starving him for weeks.

He was tempted to remove the rest of the clothing left on his body but he knew if Norma ever found out, she would never speak to him again.

"Would you like help, mother?" Norman asks, watching Alex struggle with the buttons on the back of the dress.

"Maybe I should just cancel." Alex says, wanting to get out of it. Norman buttons the rest of the dress for him.

"I'm going to call Alex." Alex says, hoping he can talk Norma into letting him cancel.

"Why?" Norman asks, sounding jealous.

"I just need to talk to him about something, Norman." Alex says, grabbing her phone and dialing his number as he walks downstairs and away from Norman. Norma answers on the second ring, his own voice filling his ear.

"Hello?" Norma answers.

"Hey, listen, I really can't do this, Norma." he whispers, stepping out onto the front porch.

"Alex I can't cancel again. He will think I'm a prude." she tells him.

"I put on the dress, I sprayed in perfume, but I can't do it." he tells her.

"Okay. Alright. I understand." Norma says. Alex smiles, feeling relieved.

"Can you come to the station? We should talk." Norma says.

"Did you find anything about what happened?" Alex asks, leaning against the railing of the porch.

"Sort of. Just...come down." she tells him before hanging up.

Alex grabs the car keys to Norma's car and begins walking down the front steps. He stops walking when an expensive looking car pulls into the lot. George steps out in a suit, a wide smile on his face.

"Shit." Alex whispers, walking the rest of the way down.

"You look amazing." George says, grabbing Norma's ass and going for a kiss. Alex quickly steps back, covering up the move with a smile. He really hated that this man was so disrespectful toward Norma. He didn't like the fact that the first thing he touched was Norma's ass.

"I'm sorry, George. I can't go tonight." Alex says, trying to sound apologetic for Norma's sake.

"You look like you're ready, though." George says with confusion.

"I was. I am...but I just got called down to the station." he tells him.

"The station? Is everything alright?" George asks.

"Yes. It's just...Sheriff Romero said he needed to speak with me." Alex says.

"Of course he does." George says with a heavy sigh and an eye roll.

"What does that mean?" Alex asks with confusion.

"It's always him. Alex this, Alex that. You could try to make it less obvious, Norma." George tells her.

"Make what less obvious?" Alex asks, liking the sound of this conversation.

"The fact that you're into the guy. I mean every time we go out, he always seems to come up."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Alex says, trying to hide his smile.

"Bullshit." George says, stepping toward his car.

"Call me tomorrow. After i've cooled down. Maybe then we can talk things out." he tells Alex before getting into his car and driving away.

Alex quickly gets into his own car, feeling giddy and elated like a school girl after hearing what George just said. He couldn't stop smiling the entire way to the station.

"I'm here to see No...uh, Sheriff Romero." Alex tells Regina through the window.

"Name?" Regina asks. She really didn't know who Norma was by now?

"Norma Bates." Alex says slowly. Regina nods and writes it down before buzzing him in. He walks back to his office and opens it up to find Norma spinning in his chair. She stops when he comes in and smiles, standing up.

"How did George take it?" Norma asks as Alex closes the door.

"Not well. I told him I had to go to the station to talk to Sheriff Romero and he got pretty angry." Alex says with a smile.

"Angry? What did he say?" Norma asks.

"He said he was tired of it always being about me..or...Alex." Alex says, gesturing to his body. Norma covers her cheeks and looks exhausted.

"Sorry." Norma says.

"Me too." Alex tells her.

"I really...I underestimate how hard you work every day." Alex begins, sitting in front of her while she sits on the desk.

"I mean you go to work and then you get home and you're working again. No breaks, nothing. And when you go into town, it's like...I mean everyone is staring at you. Like you're a piece of meat." Alex says with disgust. Norma shrugs knowingly, having gone through that on a daily basis.

"You work really hard too. I mean people have been in and of all day asking me all sorts of questions. I've never been more stressed in my life." Norma says, shaking her head.

"So did you find anything on the internet? Anything that will switch us back?" Alex asks.

"No." Norma says sadly.

"Really? Nothing at all?" Alex asks with surprise.

"Well...there was one thing." Norma says.

"What? What is it? I'll do anything." Alex tells her, leaning toward her.

"We have to have sex." she tells him. His eyes widen and his jaw drops slightly as he takes in what he just heard. She starts laughing and Alex realizes it was a joke.

"Norma."

"I'm sorry. You just..you should've seen your face." she laughs.

"Or...well...my face." she says, becoming confused.

"You really didn't find anything?" Alex asks.

"One page just told me to wait it out. Could take days, could take months, or it could happen tomorrow." Norma explains.

"Months? I can't live like this for months!" Alex tells her.

"What's so wrong with being me?" she asks.

"It's difficult. I'm tired and it isn't even seven o'clock. Not to mention I wouldn't want to have to shower in your body." he tells her.

"We would just have to bathe each other." she says with a shrug. He looks at her with surprise again, making her laugh.

"You've gotta stop taking everything so seriously." she tells him.

"This is serious, Norma. What're we supposed to do?" he asks.

"Get really comfortable in each other's bodies." she says, smirking at him as she stands up and begins undoing her belt. He grabs her hands, standing up as well.

"Can you be serious?" he asks, losing his patience.

"Alright. Okay." she says, sitting back on his desk.

"Maybe...maybe just go to sleep. If we wake up in the morning and we are still...stuck, then we can talk about our next step." Norma suggests.

"I think we should sleep beside each other." Alex tells her. She gives him a look, trying to decide if he is joking or not.

"O-Okay." Norma says slowly.

"I just think it might help." he says nonchalantly.

"Alright." she says with a nod, standing up.

"You're not off for another hour." Alex says, grabbing her wrist and checking his watch.

"They can hold down the fort without me, Alex. I haven't been doing much today anyways. I think they think you're sick." Norma says, grabbing the car keys.

"Oh great. That's just what I want." Alex says sarcastically as they walk out of the office.

"Meet you at home." Norma says, getting into Alex's suburban.

When they finally arrive back at the motel, Norma walks right into Alex's room while Alex hesitates outside.

"What?" Norma asks, noticing his hesitation.

"Should I...well should I tell someone? Norman maybe?" Alex asks.

"I'll just send him a text. Do you have my phone?" Norma asks. Alex nods and hands her the phone while stepping into the motel room, closing the door behind him.

"So...just go to sleep?" Alex asks, slipping off the shoes on his feet. He opens his dresser drawers, wanting to wear his own clothes again.

"Unless you have a better idea." Norma says, slipping off her own shoes. Alex grabs a t shirt and sweats and turns to Norma.

"Go ahead. It's my body." Norma tells him.

"Could you..." he trails off, motioning to the buttons on his back.

"Oh. Yeah." Norma says, unbuttoning the dress.

"These things are a pain in the ass." she mumbles, finishing the last button.

"It's like a straight jacket. Can't do it by yourself." Alex says, slipping the dress off. Norma watches, her eyes scrutinizing every flaw she sees.

"Could you maybe not stare?" Alex asks.

"I know it's your body but it's still me in here." Alex says, pulling his shirt down over his head.

"Sorry." Norma mumbles, looking away and flopping down on the bed. Alex finishes dressing himself and slowly lays beside Norma, both of them staring at the ceiling.

"You were right." Alex says.

"What?"

"I couldn't last a day in your shoes. It was exhausting. And I didn't even have me to deal with." he says, looking over at her with a smirk. She laughs and shakes her head.

"You don't have it easy either. I mean the town almost went up in flames without you there. You're the glue." she tells him. He smiles and looks away from his own dark eyes.

"I...I also don't think I could last a day without you." Alex says boldly.

"I know I'm not always smiling and I can be a bit mean and...ungrateful." he says, smiling at her knowingly.

"I said those in the heat of the moment-"

"It's true." Alex tells her.

"I'm trying to be better though." he adds, looking back at the ceiling.

"Me too. I know you're an esoteric person and I should respect that." she says, grabbing his hand.

"I think we have both learned about today. Maybe that's what the point of all of this was." Alex suggests.

"Yes. Maybe." Norma says, turning to look at him. He looks boldly back at her, wishing he could see her blue eyes instead of his own brown ones.

Nonetheless, he leaned closer to her and pressed his lips against hers. Her hands grip the blonde locks on his head, making him hum into her mouth. They pull away, both breathing heavily.

"It's too weird." Norma tells him.

"I agree." Alex says, scooting away from her.

"I just don't find myself attractive enough to do myself." Alex says jokingly.

"You don't? I do. I would do myself in a hot second. You're the only thing in the way." Norma says back in the same joking manner.

"Shut up." he says with a laugh.

"Time for lights out?" Norma asks, already leaning toward the lamp.

"Please." Alex replies.

When Alex reopened his eyes the next morning, he was met with the familiar ceiling of his motel room. He felt a presence to his left but he already knew it was Norma. What he was afraid to learn was if it was his body or Norma's body laying next to him.

He slowly turned his head to look beside him and was filled with joy to see Norma's sleeping form. Her eyes were shut peacefully, her hair perfectly askew.

"Yes! It worked!" Alex says, jumping out of bed. He runs to Norma and grabs her arms, pulling her out of the bed and waking her up at the same time.

"Woah!" she says, stumbling for a moment before regaining her balance.

"It worked! We're back!" Alex says with a smile.

"It worked." she replies with disbelief.

"It worked!" he says again, picking her up in a hug and spinning her around before setting her down.

"Finally." he whispers, taking her face in his hands and kissing her. She wraps her arms around his neck, finally being able to fully enjoy the kiss. Perhaps even a little too much.

"Much better." she mumbles against his lips, pulling him to the bed.

 _Okay this was hands down the hardest chapter I have ever had to write. I don't really like how it turned out. I'll work on the next one tomorrow to make up for this one. also this has not been revised so i apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes. xoxo_


	5. Make It Up To You

_Requested by my good friend, K (BatesLuva). Big thanks to you and your constant help. Hope I didn't disappoint with this one! xoxo_

It had been on her mind all day, the scene stuck on repeat. She didn't know what she had done to deserve such a kind friend like Alex Romero. As she sits at the front desk of the motel office, her mind wanders back once again to the previous day.

Alex had taken it upon himself to find her beloved car and bring it back to her. He had remembered how much she despised the new modern car that had sat in her lot and he went out of his way to fix the situation.

Her mind was racing as well as her heart. She didn't know how to repay him. She hadn't seen him smile so much before. It was as if he had broken out of his stoic shell the day before when Norma cared for him in his drunken state. Maybe seeing this side of him made Norma feel more comfortable with pushing him by asking more questions.

"Why did you do it?" she had asked, stepping closer to him. His eyes gaze into her own before dropping down to her lips. As if realizing where he was staring, he closes his eyes to collect his thoughts.

"It's- I don't know. I just, uh...couldn't stand the thought of you being sad about it." he says, glancing down at the car, his lips still pulled up into a half smile.

"And I could do something...or fix it or whatever that means." he says with an awkward chuckle.

She had seen something change in his face when he spoke to her. It was as if he was finally comfortable being himself around her- no longer feeling the need to hide behind such a stoic mask.

She daringly took a step closer to him, her eyes searching his own. She had seen the change in his face when she did this. His eyes had darkened and his cheeks seemed to flush a light shade of pink. It was just the reaction she had been hoping for.

She leaned in as if to kiss him, a slight smirk on her face as she is now discovering new ways to push his buttons. Right as her lips are about to brush against his, she changes direction and places a soft, rather long kiss on the corner of his mouth. She pulled away slightly but went back for one last peck in the same spot before pulling away entirely.

Her mind had this small interaction on repeat ever since it had happened. A part of her wishes she hadn't kissed him at all- hadn't taken that small step toward him. She didn't want to feel the way she was feeling right now: vulnerable, confused, and slightly belated.

However, there was a part of her- and she didn't know how potent that part might be- that wishes she had taken the chance and kissed his lips.

She was pulled from her reverie when, out of the corner of her eye, she notices Alex's car pulling onto the lot. She quickly walks out of the office to catch him before he gets into his room.

"Alex." she calls out over the roar of the rain, catching his attention. He turns around, pushing his car keys into his pocket. Rain drops hung from his dark hair and rolled down his leather jacket but it didn't seem to phase him. He had lived in White Pine Bay his entire life- he was used to the rain.

"You got your sling off." she begins casually, gesturing to his newly healed arm. He looks down at his arm and flexes his hand as if showing off his regained function.

"Yeah. Just got back." he says, looking back at her as he pulls his motel key out of his pocket.

"I just came by to drop off my medication and grab my badge." he tells her as he unlocks his door. He steps inside and glances back at Norma, nonverbally inviting her inside. She takes the offer and steps into the dry room, his scent consuming her and clouding her thoughts.

"Uh, I just...I keep thinking about yesterday and...Alex, I really do appreciate you getting my car back for me." she tells him. He smiles slightly, his mind automatically flashing back to the almost kiss.

"Norma, really, its-"

"I just feel like a thank you isn't...well it's not enough. I want to do something more." she begins, absently playing with the loose button on her cardigan while watching him move around his room, collecting his things for work.

"Will you come to dinner?" she asks, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Norma it's really not necessary." he says, looking up at her.

"It is though." she tells him.

"You don't have to go through all the trouble, really, Norma." he tells her, standing up straight and focusing all of his attention on her.

"I do-"

"I didn't bring the car to get something from you." he tells her, trying to clarify his intentions.

"I can't impose-"

"No, no, no. No, you're coming. I'm not taking no for an answer." she tells him.

"Besides, I'm eating by myself tonight. Dylan is at the farm and Norman is camping with Emma and her dad." she tells him.

"Please, Alex? Please, just let me thank you with dinner. Please?" she begs, knowing he can't refuse her if she pleads with him. He sighs, grabbing his badge from the nightstand.

"Alright. Okay, fine." he tells her, walking toward the door.

"But don't go out of your way to make something extravagant. Frozen pizza is fine with me." he tells her, opening the motel door for her.

"I would _never_ make frozen pizza." she tells him as they step out of the room.

"You know what I mean though." he says, locking the door.

"What time are you home tonight?" she asks, leaning against his now locked door as she stares up at him.

"Probably seven. You don't have to wait for me, though. You can eat before-"

"I'll have dinner ready by seven." she says, suddenly feeling excited. He smiles slightly and nods.

"Okay. Thank you, Norma." he says, stepping away from her.

"No, thank _you,_ Alex." she says, watching him step into his car. He raises his hand at her through his windshield and she waves back, waiting until his car disappears down the road before moving toward her house.

Once she was safely inside and out of the storm, she glanced at the clock in the hallway, figuring that she had a little under two hours until she had to begin making dinner. She decided to pick out something nicer to wear than the sundress she wore currently.

Opening her wardrobe, she began sifting through her dresses, picturing herself in each one before deciding on a simple blue dress with pockets and a bow that ties in the back. She thought about grabbing a pair of heels but decides against it, not wanting to wear shoes in her own house.

As she pulls off her current sundress, she stands in front of the mirror that hangs on her wardrobe. Her eyes travel down her half naked body, scrutinizing some places while praising other parts of her body. Norma was a relatively confident woman but, like every human, she had some insecurities. After having two kids, her body looked great, but she thought it could look better. She just never had the time to work out like she knows she should.

She glances down at the motel lot and moves toward the window with confusion as she sees Alex running up the stairs of her home, trying to hide from the pouring rain. She quickly pulls the blue dress on, zipping it closed just as the doorbell rings.

She jogs down the stairs, her hands fumbling with the bow in the back. She gives up and pulls the door open. The wind pushes against the door from the outside, causing it to swing open. If Norma hadn't been holding it, it would've crashed right into the wall. Alex quickly steps inside and helps Norma push the door shut. Once it clicks closed, Norma leans against it, breathing heavily before realizing that Alex's hands still rested on either side of her own. She turns around and looks up at him with confusion.

"You're home early." she says, not being bothered by their close proximity. Alex felt oddly elated at the sound of Norma calling this his home.

"Yeah, the station closed early because of the storm." he tells her, taking a step back.

"Oh. Well I haven't started dinner yet." she says, walking past him.

"That's alright." he tells her.

"Do you want me to tie that?" he asks.

"Tie what?" she asks, glancing back at him. He points to her back and she remembers the bow that is still hanging from her dress.

"Oh. Uh, yes. Please." she says, stopping so he can catch up with her. He grabs the ribbon, tying it slowly so he can enjoy being close to her. He can smell the lavender that wafts from her blonde locks and he smiles, carefully leaning closer to her hair.

"Thank you." she says, stepping away from him as soon as he finishes.

"Yeah. You're welcome." he says, following her into the kitchen.

"Can I help?" Alex asks, hesitating by the doorway while she moves gracefully around the kitchen, picking up supplies for the meal.

"Of course. Do you know how to cut vegetables?" Norma asks, setting the cutting board on the counter. Alex smirks, walking toward the cutting board.

"I'm not completely useless, you know." he tells her, coming up behind her and taking the knife from her hand. She smiles up at him before slipping away from him to retrieve a pot from under the sink.

"Well you eat frozen dinners and take out." she says in her defense. He chuckles and grabs a cucumber from the basket of vegetables she set out for him.

As soon as Norma set the pot onto the stove, the lights in her house shut off, alarming both of them. Alex looks up at the ceiling before looking at Norma.

"You have a generator?" Alex asks, setting the cutting knife down.

"In the basement." she says.

"Flashlight?" he asks.

"I have candles." Norma offers.

"Just lead me down to the generator." he says, following her to the basement.

"Be careful." Norma says, reaching back to grab his hand so she can guide him down the stairs. In all honesty, Alex didn't need to be guided but he didn't want to let go of her soft hand. Unfortunately, as Alex finishes descending the stairs, Norma pulls her hand out of his.

"This way." she tells him, disappearing into the dark.

"Which way?" he asks, holding his hands out in front of him. With the dark clouds hiding the sun and the lack of windows in the basement, visibility was slim to none.

"Norma?" he calls out again before banging his knee on a table.

"Shit." he whispers, reaching down to feel out his surroundings. His hands run along something furry and he jumps back with a gasp, running right into another object.

"Hey!" Norma says, falling to the ground.

"Norma?" he asks, turning around and holding his hands out into the darkness. She grabs onto him, standing back up.

"Why did you push me?" she asks.

"I didn't. I touched something and then I jumped back into you. Can't see shit down here." he grumbles, not letting go of her hand.

"The generator is somewhere over here." she says, pulling him further into the darkness.

"Here." she says, placing his hand on the generator.

"I'm going to grab a candle from upstairs." she tells him. He squints into the darkness, his eyes adjusting to the darkness just enough to make out the outline of the generator.

"Norma?" he calls out after hearing something drop to the floor behind him. He glances back but sees nothing but darkness. The sound echoes throughout the basement once again, making the hair on the back of Alex's neck stand up.

"Norma? That you?" he asks, stepping toward the dark corner that he heard the sound from. He finds a handle to a door and hesitates. He knew the sound came from behind the door but he also knew that there was no way the sound could've been Norma since she went upstairs. The sheriff side of him was slowly coming out and he wishes he had thought to bring his gun with him.

He slowly opens the door and finds the room that is illuminated by a blue glow. The lights that surround the room seem to be battery operated which would explain why they are still on with the power outage. It was unusually cold in the room, every breath Alex took showing itself. But what scared Alex the most was what this strange room contained. Shelves and boxes full of dead animals, either already stuffed or ready to be stuffed.

Alex knew the sound from earlier had been coming from this room but what he didn't know was what the sound resonated from. Everything in this strange room was too far dead to make any sound.

"Alex?" Norma asks, appearing in the doorway. He turns around to see her looking around the room curiously, obviously having never seen the room.

"What're you doing in Norman's freezer?" she asks, focusing back on him.

"I thought...nevermind." he says, walking out of the room.

"What?" she pushes on, following him to the generator.

"I thought I heard something." he tells her.

"Coming from the freezer?" she asks.

"It was probably just...something in the pipes." he says, shaking off the uneasy feeling. He focuses back on the generator and flips the switch. They both look around, waiting for the lights to come on.

"Flip it again." she tells him. He does as she says but nothing changes.

"Looks like darkness will be our friend tonight." Alex says, standing up.

"We can light more candles." she says, taking his hand to lead him back up the stairs.

"Oh shit!" Norma says with realization. Alex secretly enjoyed when Norma cursed. It was strange to see such an elegant woman let loose.

"What're we going to do for dinner?" she asks, gazing at the kitchen. Alex hadn't even thought about food.

"I might have some stuff in my motel room." Alex offers.

"Edible stuff?" she asks.

"For the most part." he says, already guiding her to the front door.

"Just brace yourself." he warns her, grabbing a rain jacket from the rack and pulling it over her.

"Ready?" he asks, still holding her arms. She nods, clutching her jacket tightly.

"Okay." he says, pulling the door open. Norma steps outside with Alex who pulls the door closed using all of his strength. The wind tugs at their clothes and whips their hair into knots. Once he manages to pull the door all the way closed, he turns to Norma.

"Ready?" she shouts over the rain. She holds his hand out for him and he takes it.

"Ready." he tells her. She clutches his hand tightly and, together, they run out into the rain.

"It's so cold!" she shouts with a giggle, feeling slightly exhilarated. They finally make it under the shelter of the motel porch but continue running until they reach Alex's room.

"Hurry." Norma says as Alex fumbles with the lock. He finally tears the door open and they rush inside, closing the door behind them. They flop onto the bed, both of them breathing heavily as they stare at the ceiling.

"Where's your food?" Norma asks once her breathing returns to normal. Alex sits up and walks to the desk in his room. While he digs through the desk, Norma stands up from the bed, looking down at her drenched dress.

"I appreciate the jacket you handed to me but I don't think it did much." she tells him. He glances back at her and nods in agreement.

"In my top drawer, there's some t shirts you can borrow." he tells her before going back to gathering the food.

She opens the drawer and pulls out a t shirt as well as a pair of his boxers before walking into the bathroom to change. Alex lays all of the food on the bed and uses whatever time he has left alone to change his own clothes. Norma walks back into the room just as Alex is pulling a clean shirt on.

"Ah, I see you grabbed my boxers." Alex mumbles, taking her wet dress from her hands to hang it along with his clothes.

"And socks." she says, drawing attention to the black socks that cover her feet and bunch around her ankles.

"So this is dinner." Norma says, sitting on the bed.

"It'll have to do." Alex says, sitting next to her.

"So what've we got? Cherries, whipped cream, peanut butter, some pretzels, and bread." Norma says, looking over everything.

"And alcohol." Alex says, reaching over to his nightstand to grab the bottles of liquor he has stashed.

"Perfect." Norma says with a smile.

"Sorry. I really thought I had more." Alex apologizes.

"It's fine, Alex. The dinner was supposed to be for you. I feel bag that this is your thank you. I'll have to make it up to you another time." Norma says, reaching for the peanut butter. She opens the jar and grabs a plastic spoon, filling it with peanut butter.

"No you don't have to make it up, Norma. I got the car for you because I wanted you to have it. I didn't expect anything in return. And this...well this turn of events is...I kind of like it." he admits, watching her eat the peanut butter before taking a swig of the alcohol.

"Me too." Norma says, leaning back against the pillows and stretching her legs out in front of her. She grabs the alcohol from Alex's hand and takes a rather large sip. Meanwhile, Alex follows the porcelain trail of her legs, which seemed to go on forever, before tearing his gaze away.

"I don't think we are going to need whipped cream at this picnic." Alex says, grabbing the can.

"Maybe on your pretzels?" Norma offers jokingly.

"Well, I hadn't thought of that." Alex says, grabbing a pretzel from the bag. Norma giggles at his antics, watching with disgust as he takes the can from her hand and sprays whipped cream on top of the pretzel before popping it into his mouth. He chews slowly while Norma watches with amusement.

"How is it?" Norma asks once he swallows.

"The salty, the sweet...the crunch...it's actually not bad." Alex says.

"Really?" Norma asks with surprise.

"No it's awful." Alex says, grabbing the bottle of liquor from Norma's hand and washing away the taste.

"Peanut butter sandwich?" he offers, grabbing the bread and the peanut butter.

"Please." she says with a smile.

As she watches him carefully spread the peanut butter across the entire slice of bread, a thought pops into her mind.

"Alex, have you ever been married?" she asks. He glances over at her before focusing back on his sandwich.

"Yeah. Once. But not for very long." he admits.

"Why not?" she asks before licking the last bit of peanut butter off of her spoon.

"Well, I had only known her for two months before we got married. She was the sister of one of my buddies in the Marines. And after about a week of marriage, I realized I had made a terrible mistake, and I just became really impossible to be around." he tells her, handing her the sandwich.

"I know, really mature. And she left me." he finishes, leaning back next to her with his sandwich.

"Aww." Norma says before taking a bite of the sandwich.

"That was...I think that was the last serious relationship i've had." Alex says with realization.

"I mean i've been with women and they're all the same. Very...superficial. Trying too hard to impress me." Alex says, taking a large bite of his sandwich, making half of it disappear.

"I bet I can impress you without trying hard." Norma says with a smile.

"Oh yeah? Alright, go ahead." Alex says with his mouth full. Norma grabs the cherry jar and uses all of her strength to open the lid.

"Need help?" Alex asks with a smirk. She sighs and hands him the jar.

"This is off to a great start." Norma says sarcastically. He easily opens the jar and hands it back to her. She pulls a cherry out and breaks it off from the stem.

"Do you like cherries?" she asks.

"If you don't like cherries, why did you have me open the jar?" he asks.

"Do you like them or not?" she asks.

"Yeah." he tells her. She holds the cherry to his lips, allowing him to open his mouth and take the cherry.

"Okay, ready?" she asks, licking the fingers that held the cherry while the fingers on her other hand hold out the stem.

"Impress me." he tells her. She pops the stem into her mouth, her eyebrows scrunching together in concentration. She begins coughing as she chokes on the stem.

"This is great." Alex says with a smile. She glares at him as she tries again.

She finally smiles and pulls the stem out from her mouth, displaying the knot she did with her tongue.

"I am impressed." Alex says as she sets the stem aside.

"And I didn't even try that hard." Norma says, reaching for the pretzels.

"Your tongue skills amaze me." he tells her.

"Mm, you're not the first man to tell me that." she says with a wink. He chuckles and shakes his head in amazement.

"Do you ever think you'll remarry?" Norma asks, becoming serious again. It might've been the alcohol taking affect on her but she felt bold.

"Probably not." he admits.

"Why's that?" Norma asks curiously.

"I...I don't really like getting close to people." he admits, picking at the crust of his sandwich absently.

"Why?" she asks, pushing him on.

"Well, the more you love...the more you get hurt." Alex says with a shrug.

"Alex what's this about?" Norma whispers, turning to face him.

"I think...well growing up with my parents, watching them continue to hurt each other until finally my mom...well, it just made me realize that love is a facade. It's all fairytale." Alex says, still not looking up from his sandwich.

"I don't believe that." Norma tells him.

"Alex, you are capable of so much love. I can see that. And you deserve even more love in return."

He finally looks up at her, his brown eyes melting into her blue ones. She seems drawn to him, leaning closer to him with every breath she took.

"I...I don't want love-"

"Alex, everyone needs love." she tells him.

"I didn't finish." he tells her with a smile.

"I don't want love...if it doesn't come from you." he tells her.

"Really?" she asks, glancing down at his lips. He nods, slowly leaning toward her, closing the distance between them. Their lips brush against each other for a second before pulling away. But just as quickly as they had pulled away, they were together again, as if one taste had changed everything. He didn't know how he had gone so long without kissing her. All he knew now was that he was missing her and he had never felt more alive.

"You really are good with your tongue." he mumbles against her lips. She smiles and pushes him further against the pillows and crawling on top of him. His hands grab her hips, rubbing up and down her sides. She grabs his shirt and pulls it over his head.

"Are you sure?" he whispers against her lips as her hands run down his chest.

"I'm sure." she whispers back, moving her hips against his as if proving her point. Her lips move down his cheek to his neck while his hands dip under her shirt. She pulls away to remove her own shirt and toss it aside with his.

"Wow." he whispers, staring at her.

"You're beautiful." he tells her. She smiles and pulls his face towards hers to kiss him. He rolls them over, taking control of the situation.

"Wow." Norma breathes out, staring at the ceiling, her fingers tracing shapes on his bare chest. Their bare, sweaty limbs were intertwined underneath the sheets of Alex's bed.

"Yeah. Wow." Alex says, his fingers playing with her blonde locks.

"You're not like the other women." he tells her. She smiles, hugging him tighter.

"It's the cherry thing, right?" she asks, making him chuckle.

"Definitely." he tells her, placing a kiss on her forehead.

 _Okay. This wasn't proofread so I apologize for any mistakes. I hope this seemed more like Normero since I seemed to have lost their characterization somewhere in the previous chapters. And even toward the end of this chapter they were a bit silly but...oh well. Hope you enjoyed! xoxo_


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